The people speak

A time to remember the past, reflect on the present and think of the future By Viktor Chong viktorchong@thestar.com.my m ALAYSIA’s disposition as a melting pot of culture has always been an attractive oddity.

Despite our physical and spiritual differences, Malaysians have cohabitated peacefully among each other for centuries.This feat, seemingly natural for us, has seen the western world struggling to replicate our diversified society.

It is despite the common knowledge that the west had hitherto represented the pantheons from which civilisational values and models were derived.

Our unity would not have been possible if its weight had not been supported by the accepting shoulders of our community.

Speaking of Malaysia, let us hear from the young and old as they come together to share their hopes and dreams about this great nation.

Different but united Siti Maimunah Binti Othman Siti Maimunah Binti Othman, 64, discourages racial discrimination, saying that everyone has the same rights to live in Malaysia.

“It is not a matter of who comes to this country first, but about how we live together to develop the country,” she said.

“The uniqueness of this beautiful country has always been attributed to her people, who make up the culture which resonates in our food.

We are a melting pot of cultures and flavour,” said Thomas Raymond, 54.  The 54-year-old added that the nation has tremendous potential, given its economic standpoint and wealth of natural resources.

Not unlike him, Helen Rita Joseph, 54, expressed optimism towards the country’s future.

“We still have a chance to complete the vision 2020, but I feel that we can go beyond that, given the potential in our youth,” she said.

63-year-old Haniza Binti Zainal Abidin is unsure about the current economic situation.

“Food is getting expensive, and the people are getting louder,’ she said, adding that Malaysians need to choose the right leader to govern the country.

Chan Fong Chan Fong, 49, a DJ from 988 said, “I think there are a lot of differences when comparing the past and present of Malaysia.

First, the evolution of Malaysia includes architecture buildings, transportation and our earnings.

Try and observe the cars on the road for three minutes and count the cars there that are worth around RM100,000 to RM200,000.

You can conclude that the average Malaysian is living a cosy lifestyle.” According to Eddy Lee Chee Kuen, 46, there isn’t much difference between the Malaysia of before and post-GE 2018.

“The notable difference now is that there is less fear of speaking out,” he said.Lee believed that education is the key to making our nation a better place.

“We must strive to restore our academic standards by revamping the entire education system all the way from primary to tertiary education.

A well-educated population is the cornerstone for the success of any country,” he said.

Leaders of tomorrow Nazneen Kaur Gill Nazneen Kaur Gill, 20, is a Merdeka Baby and will be celebrating her 21st birthday this coming Aug 31.

She is optimistic that the youth can propel Malaysia towards a more sustainable and economically thriving nation, although there is much work to be done.

“Set goals, show up, and make an effort.

Doors will open wherever you go,” she said.

Nurul Yusra Idayu, 17, president of Pembimbing Rakan Sebaya said Malaysians should appreciate the sacrifices done by our ancestors to bring independence to the country.

“The younger generation is soon to inherit the nation, and they will determine the success of Malaysia.

Hence it is up to them to bring Malaysia up, and their thoughts need to be similar to the first world countries out there,” she said.  Moving forward, the 17-years-old pointed out that Malaysians should do something to improve the strength of the ringgit with regards to other foreign currencies.

“We can see developed nations such as America, Arabia and Japan having a higher exchange rate compared to the ringgit,” she said, further recommending that we could learn from them.  Sofia Binti Noah “We have a good chance to improve our country, but we need to cultivate a positive mindset for that to happen,” said Sofia Binti Noah, 15, who pointed out that Malaysians need to lose the “I don’t care attitude.” “Of course I am proud to be Malaysian,” Lim Seng Foo, 17, said without hesitation.

According to him, Malaysians see each other as a member of a big family, and he is comfortable interacting with his friends from the other races.  “As a society, we should be able to live harmoniously, support others and understand that the upliftment of one community does not mean lowering another.

Everyone grows together,” said Daveena Kaur Rekhraj, 20.

Sentan Muruges, 15, highlighted the various cuisines and historical buildings in Malaysia as an attraction.

He has a fondness for nasi lemak and a liking towards the A’Famosa in Malacca.

Hearing from a foreign voice Alena Belozertseva Previously from Yekaterinburg, Russian language teacher Alena Belozertseva, 38, currently teaches at the Russian Centre of Science and Culture in Kuala Lumpur.

She and her family have lived here for 11 years.

“First of all, congratulations on your Merdeka and we are very happy to celebrate it together.

I think Malaysians have everything, a beautiful country, wonderful nature and natural resources,” she said.According to Alena, Malaysia’s diverse qualities make her feel at home.

“There are multiple nationalities speaking multiple languages here.

When I speak to my family in a different language, I don’t draw attention, unlike in other countries.

She said that it is easy to have the children along in Malaysia.

“The people are very friendly towards children.

You also don’t need so many clothes for the kids.

In Russia, there are four seasons, and you need one for autumn and another kind for winter,” she said, adding that her children have no problems here since they grew up with the locals.

“Before visiting Malaysia, people told me that the country is not safe.

But after getting here, I found out that I was wrong,” said Hannah Ong, 22, a student from Myanmar.

She stated that Malaysia was among the best ASEAN countries to travel, learn and visit.

“One difference is that the education system in Malaysia is much better and advanced compared to other Asian countries,” said Hannah, who noted a large number of English speaking citizens here.

>> BACK TO MAIN PAGE.